Author
Topic: Festool LS 130 Linear Sander (Read 2445 times)

I love my job, but I don’t enjoy sanding. It’s time-consuming, messy, and all-around boring. Detail sanding is even worse. Getting into corners, sanding curved millwork and profiles, and cleaning up edges requires hand-sanding. I find hand-sanding tedious. Not only is it slow, but it tends to leave more dust lying around since there is no good way to collect it. It also takes its toll on your hands over time. Obviously, I’m always looking for ways to speed up the detail sanding process.

When I saw the Festool LS 130 EQ, I knew it was something special. With a wide variety of 13 different heads, it tackles everything from inside and outside corners to various radii. You can even make your own profile head with an optional kit. To me, this sander stands alone in this regard since I don’t know of any other detail sanders on the market with these capabilities.

Logged

Festool USA does not pre-approve the contents of this website nor endorse the application or use of any Festool product in any way other than in the manner described in the Festool Instruction Manual. To reduce the risk of serious injury and/or damage to your Festool product, always read, understand and follow all warnings and instructions in your Festool product's Instruction Manual. Although Festool strives for accuracy in the website material, the website may contain inaccuracies. Festool makes no representations about the accuracy, reliability, completeness or timeliness of the material on this website or about the results to be obtained from using the website. Festool and its affiliates cannot be responsible for improper postings or your reliance on the website's material. Your use of any material contained on this website is entirely at your own risk. The content contained on this site is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice.

I think that most of the people not liking the 130 are guilty of expectations that are too high. This is a true finish sander...it will not take off material fast or deal well with coarse grits. I've been making wood, plastic and aluminum dust for 47 years and own the full line of Festool sanders and a few Makitas and PCs. Other than Mirka, no ones electric sanders even come close the functionality of the Festool line.

I think that most of the people not liking the 130 are guilty of expectations that are too high.

If my expectation is that a power sander outperforms my hand sanding, maybe.

The LS130 sander is so slow and clumsy on profiles that hand sanding doesn't only work faster but also gives a better result. If somebody pays you money to perform I think it's an obligation to perform in a cost efficient manner and the LS130 simply fails there.

Now I get that hand sanding only works when you have to do not so many meters because it is tiring. My experience however is that you never have to do too much of it at one time.

In my opinion, the LS130 only works out if you have to do a lot of the same profiles over a longer period of time. Hand sanding that all would be too tiring and not very ergonomical, which can hurt. So the LS130 steps in if you physically can't handle the amount of profiles you have to sand. But you'd still work at a slower pace than when you'd do it by hand, but it would be better for your body.

I don't think my post is about what that is exactly, it is about the profile. From time to time you encounter profiles with shapes like this that DO have to be sanded.

Sure, that would be a difficult profile to sand with any sander on the market as well as by hand. Not sure how that responds to question about dust collecting while sanding? I just bought a LS130 specifically for sanding some more common molding profiles AND for the dust collection capabilities. I haven't used it yet but expect job will be much easier and cleaner than trying to sand by hand.

While I disagree with Alex on a couple fine points I do have to agree that the LS 130 has not been as helpful as I hoped it would be. First off the linear motion is liable to put grooves in the work if the profile does not allow moving the sander sideways. Progress is pretty slow, maybe a little faster than hand sanding (but dust collection is a big benefit). And the automatic disintegration of pads over time is very disappointing.